Self-feeder for huskers, shredders, and cutters



/ A9 A 4 I n #2 f l A. BERKEMEYER. v SELF FEEDER FOR HUSKERS, SHREDDERS, AND CUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l4. l9l9 I 1,396,015. I Patented'Nov.'8,1921-. I

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AUGUST BERKEMEYEE, 0F BIIADEDT, NEBRASKA.

SELF-FEEDER roe HUSKERS, srrnnnnnas, AND onrrnns.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 I Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed August 14, 1919. Serial no. 317,400.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, AUcUsr BERKEMEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bladen, in the county of Webster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Feeders for Huskers, Shredders, and Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self-feeders for shredders, huskers and cutters, and my object is, to produce an efficient machine of this character possessing the desirable qualities of simplicity, strength, durability and inexpensiveness of construction.

With this general object in view the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

igure 1, is a top plan view of a self feeder embodying the invention.

Fig. 2, is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a fragmental cross section of the same. i

Fig. 4, is a plan view of a modified construction for dividing the bundles of grain.

In the said drawing, 1 indicates the sides of the frame or body of the machine, the same having a bottom and the sides being adapted to be attached at their rear ends to the machine for delivery of the bundles of grain to the feeder, or any other support may be provided, and at the opposite end the sides are equipped with any suitable downwardly and forwardly inclined braces 2. The numerals3, 8, designate a pair of slatted conveyors for running over the bottom for the greater part of the length of the sides, and said conveyers are each mounted at their ends on rollers 4 and 5. The shaft of roller 4 is provided at one end with a belt pulley 6 connected by a belt 7 to a pulley 8 secured on one end of a transverse shaft 9 journaled in bearings 10 at the upper ends of the braces 2 where the same project above the sides, and to drive said shaft it is equipped with a pulley 11 for engagement by a suitable drive belt, not shown.

A toothed disk 12 constituting a divider and band cutter, is mounted centrally upon shaft 9, and at opposite sides of said divider, shaft 9 is equipped with a pair of drive pulleys 13 and 14 of different sizes, for

respectively driving a pair of endless slatted conveyers l5 and 16 mounted at their front ends upon rollers 17 journaled on a. cross shaft 18 extending across the front end of the frame. The parts 15 and 16 inclusive constitute endless traveling kickers and extend convergingly downward by preference with respect to conveyer 3, the kickers because of the difference in the diameters of their drive rollers 13 and 14, having different speeds so as to straighten out the straw and thereby avoid any chance of clogging the receiving machine as would be the case if the kickers operated at the same speed.

A suitable distance rearward of the kickers a pair of brackets 19 are secured to the sides of the frame and project upwardly therefrom and are provided with slots 20 concentric with shaft 9. Fitting in said slotted brackets for slidable adjustment upward and downward therein are boxes 21 provided with outwardly projecting tubular spindles 22 forming journals for a transverse shaft 23 equipped with a toothed roller 24 for resting upon the bundles of grain and feeding the same forward in conjunction with the underlying conveyors 8, the boxes being movable upward and downward in the slotted brackets so that the roller may accommodate itself to bundles of different size. To guard against any cramping of said roller due to any tendency thereof to tilt under engagement with a bigger mass of grain near one end than the other, a pair of swinging arms 25 are pivoted on the shaft 9 and on the tubular spindles 22 of the boxes 21 and hold said shaft horizontal at all times. To drive the said roller 24, its shaft is provided at one end with a sprocket wheel 26 connected by a sprocket chain 27 to a drive sprocket wheel 28 on shaft 9.

In operation it will be apparent that the toothed feeder 24 will feedthe bundles as suggested. It will force the bundles against the revolving dividing disk 12 so that the latter'shall not only cut the bands but also force the halves of the bundles to opposite sides and under the respective kickers, this action taking place before the toothed roller has ceased to exert forward pressure on the bundle. Immediately after the kickers take hold, the feed roller 24 releases the bundles, and the kickers in conjunction wit-l1 the underlying conveyers continue the forward movement of the bundles to the receiving machine, such as a husker, cutter or feeder.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a construction of the character set forth, which possesses all of the advantages enumerated, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claim and the principle of construction involved.

I claim:

A feeder comprising a framework having sides and a bottom extending from one end to a point intermediate the length of the sides, a driven conveyer running over and under the bottom lengthwise thereof, a driven toothed drum extending across the framework between the sides and over the conveyer and adapted for up and down play, a pair of kickers over the bottomless part of the framework and the rear end of the conveyer, a rotary band cutter and divider between the front end of the kickers, and means for operating the kickers and divider to cooperate with the drum and conveyer in advancing bundles of grain through the machine toward the bottomless end thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AUGUST BERKEMEYER. 

